Adobe crashing entire OS when in edit mode, specifically with draw tool.

[randee_4827]

I've been having a problem for the last 6 months or so with Adobe. I am a high school math teacher and frequently use pdfs for notetaking. I use a Microsoft Surface tablet at school (running windows 11) which allows me to be mobile and work through math at any location in the room for the entire class. Adobe has a draw function within the edit options which has been fantastic in the past. 

Recently though, Adobe will start to flash, glitch, lag and finally crash my entire OS. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, checking for updates, fixing the installation, and even tried my home computer (running windows 10). The same problem is happening across both devices. In addition to this, adobe is draining the batteries on both devices at an outrageous pace. We're talking that within 2.5 hours of using Adobe, my device is under 10% battery. However, if I use those same devices for internet browsing, I can get a solid 4-6 hours before even slightly worrying about the battery. 

I love Adobe because of it's functionality and ease of use, but at this point it's become a HUGE headache. Other pdf editors don't come close. Please... how can I fix this???

[creative explorer · Accepted solution]

@randee_4827 It's likely that your problem stems from corrupted Adobe preferences or a conflict with the application's synchronization settings. When you log in on a new device, Adobe syncs your settings and preferences from the cloud. If this data is corrupted, the problem is essentially transferred to the new device, explaining why reinstalling and switching computers didn't help. The constant flashing and crashing indicate that the application is stuck in a loop trying to perform an action, which also explains the massive battery drain. 

You'll need to perform a clean reset of your Adobe Acrobat preferences. A simple reinstall doesn't fix this because it typically leaves the preference files behind. Make sure Adobe Acrobat is completely closed on all devices (yes, the Surface and the desktop!). For that matter, close all the apps! You can also check your task manager (Control Shift Esc) to make sure no related processes are running.Navigate to the following path on your computer. You may need to enable "Show hidden files" in your File Explorer settings. Inside this folder, you will find a folder with the name of your Adobe Acrobat version (e.g., 2017, DC, or a number). Delete this entire folder. This action will remove all your local settings, preferences, and cached data, forcing Adobe to create a fresh, new set of files the next time it opens. Now, open Adobe Acrobat and go to Edit > Preferences > General. Look for options related to "Synchronize settings across devices" or "Adobe Cloud Storage" and uncheck/disable them. This is a crucial step to prevent the corrupted data from re-syncing from the cloud. Another crucial step is to restart your computer. This will build a new set of Preferences and open a PDF. Test the draw function on a few different files. The application should now be using a fresh set of preferences, and the glitching and crashing should be gone.

[creative explorer · Accepted solution]

@randee_4827 It's likely that your problem stems from corrupted Adobe preferences or a conflict with the application's synchronization settings. When you log in on a new device, Adobe syncs your settings and preferences from the cloud. If this data is corrupted, the problem is essentially transferred to the new device, explaining why reinstalling and switching computers didn't help. The constant flashing and crashing indicate that the application is stuck in a loop trying to perform an action, which also explains the massive battery drain. 

You'll need to perform a clean reset of your Adobe Acrobat preferences. A simple reinstall doesn't fix this because it typically leaves the preference files behind. Make sure Adobe Acrobat is completely closed on all devices (yes, the Surface and the desktop!). For that matter, close all the apps! You can also check your task manager (Control Shift Esc) to make sure no related processes are running.Navigate to the following path on your computer. You may need to enable "Show hidden files" in your File Explorer settings. Inside this folder, you will find a folder with the name of your Adobe Acrobat version (e.g., 2017, DC, or a number). Delete this entire folder. This action will remove all your local settings, preferences, and cached data, forcing Adobe to create a fresh, new set of files the next time it opens. Now, open Adobe Acrobat and go to Edit > Preferences > General. Look for options related to "Synchronize settings across devices" or "Adobe Cloud Storage" and uncheck/disable them. This is a crucial step to prevent the corrupted data from re-syncing from the cloud. Another crucial step is to restart your computer. This will build a new set of Preferences and open a PDF. Test the draw function on a few different files. The application should now be using a fresh set of preferences, and the glitching and crashing should be gone.

[randee_4827]

Thank you for this response. It still seems to be struggling a bit but it is a bit better. I wonder if the continued struggle is also due to having Adobe signed into on my Macbook as well. I'm very Mac illiterate, but I'm sure those residual files are there as well. Can you help me with the navigation to delete those preferances as well? 

Thank you so much for the easy to follow steps!

[AnandSri · Accepted solution]

Hello @randee_4827

I hope you are doing well. Please see this community discussion for the steps to reset Acrobat's Preferences on Mac: How to reset Acrobat Preferences to default.

I hope this helps. Let us know if you experience any issues.

Thanks,
Anand Sri | Acrobat Community Team